Progresses of transposon research in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Transposons are mobile genetic elements that have attracted sustained scientific interest since their discovery in maize, evolving into indispensable tools in genetic research. Saccharomyces cerevisiae serves as a preferred model for transposon studies, benefiting from a mature genetic manipulation system, a well-characterized genome, and cellular mechanisms that resemble those of higher organisms. This review summarizes recent advances and application strategies of transposons in S. cerevisiae . We begin by classifying transposons based on their transposition mechanisms, with a focus on representative systems including the Tn, hAT, Ty, piggyBac (PB), Tc1/mariner and CRISPR-associated transposon (CAST) families, detailing their molecular mechanisms. We further discuss the applications of endogenous and engineered transposons in yeast, address key challenges such as insertion bias and genomic instability, and summarize corresponding engineering strategies aimed at enhancing their efficiency and specificity. Our goal is to provide a roadmap for developing transposons into efficient, precise, and low-off-target genome-editing tools, thereby advancing the construction of yeast cell factories.